


Lean on Me

by katnisswilldrownbuttercup



Category: Dolan Twins - Fandom, Magcon (Video Blogging RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: And so does Grayson, Brothers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epilepsy, Ethan loves his brother a lot, Grethan, Platonic!Grethan, Seizures, Twins, platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 23:49:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18292646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katnisswilldrownbuttercup/pseuds/katnisswilldrownbuttercup
Summary: Autosomal Dominant Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy- an epileptic disorder that causes frequent violent seizures during sleep.The onset of a rare sleep disorder comes for Grayson, in which his diagnosis affects much of his life. Ethan shows how much he'll always be there for his brother.





	Lean on Me

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to write another part to this and ended up kinda hating it lol so I don't think that there will be another part. I hope you enjoy this chapter as its own, though I'm not incredibly proud of it.

The first time Ethan woke to Grayson screaming he was confused, but mostly terrified.

  
  


He ran to his room to find him pacing in circle around crying and screaming. “Grayson, what the fuck is going on?” he tried to ask calmly but his heart was beating out of his chest. He suddenly screamed, “Ethan!” Ethan’s first reaction was to try to grab his brother to see what was wrong, but Grayson sprinted past him, out of the room, into the living room.  _ What the hell?  _ Ethan quickly followed him.

  
  


He stopped screaming, but was still sobbing and Ethan found him walking around again in circles. Ethan again attempted to grab him, but not before Grayson ran behind the couch and hit the items off of one of the rows of their shelves, shattering a few picture frames and pots. He then fell to the floor, crying, holding his knees. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” he cried. Ethan ran over to him and sunk to the floor and forced him into his arms. He pulled his chin up, looking into his eyes to see them wide, frantically moving around, tears still streaming down his face.

  
  


All of a sudden Grayson wrapped his arms around Ethan, moaning and crying in his ear, “Ethan, Ethan, Ethan, Ethan! Help me,  _ please. Please, Ethan.  _ H-h-help me,  _ please. _ ”

  
  


“Gray, what is it? What's happening?” Ethan implored, rubbing circles on the middle of his back. Grayson was obviously not fully conscious and Ethan was absolutely terrified when Grayson starts to make choking sounds. He had no idea how to help him.

  
  


He started to figure that Grayson was having some sort of sleeping walking nightmare, because he eventually started to calm down after a few minutes and become heavy in Ethan’s arms when he closed his eyes and rested his head on Ethan's shoulder. He was still crying but he started getting quieter, and soon he was just breathing heavily on Ethan's neck. 

  
  


After awhile, with some struggling, he picked Grayson up and carried him to his bed, pulling his covers on him. Ethan climbed into Grayson's bed with him, holding him so that they were facing each other and Ethan was stroking the hair on the back of his head.

  
  


“ _ Ethan _ ,” he mumbled tiredly into Ethan’s ear.

  
  


“I'm here, Gray. I'm here.”   
  


 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  


The next morning Ethan woke up before Grayson for the first time in months. Last night's events played back in his head when he saw his brothers puffy and tear-stained under eyes. He wondered if Grayson would remember anything that happened. He also remembered the broken glass from last night.

  
  


As he was sweeping up the pieces of the shattered frames and pots, he heard shuffling from the hallway and heard Grayson walk into the room. He planned to play it cool at first in the case that he didn't remember, even though he would wonder eventually when he noticed the broken glass. Ethan turned around, and smiled. “Hey, Gray.”

  
  


“Um, hey.” Grayson looked down and put his hands in the pockets of his shorts, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. “Uh, E.” His cheeks were bright red. “What happened last night?”

  
  


Ethan's smile fell. Grayson definitely remembered. “Um, I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest. How much do you remember?”

  
  


“Bits and pieces, I think,” he replied. “I remember being really upset but I’m not really sure why.” He frowned. “Sorry ‘bout the frames and plants. Here, I clean it up,” he said, walking toward Ethan. “Nah, it’s all good. I’m almost done anyway, but you should probably wear some shoes so you don’t cut yourself,” Ethan replied, look at his brother’s bare feet.

  
  


Grayson gave a small and grateful grin. “Thanks, E.” He made sure to look right at him. “For cleaning, and, um.  _ Handling _ me last night.”

 

“S’okay. That’s what I’m here for, Grayson.”

  
  
  
  


* * *

 

 

 

The next couple weeks or so were fine. Nothing like that repeated and they nearly forgot about it. Ethan became less and less worried, assuming it wouldn’t happen again. Until it  _ did _ happen again.

  
  


Again when Ethan awoke to his yelling he initially was confused until he became fully awake, and again he ran to Grayson’s room, and  _ again _ he went to hold his brother down. This time Ethan anticipated his moves and was able get ahold of him before he tried to run away. Grayson started thrashing in his arms and weeping. “No, Ethan! Don’t do this, please, please,  _ please _ .” He tried to get Ethan to let go of him but Ethan wouldn’t let up. “Help, Ethan, please. Help me, help me, help me,  _ please _ ,” he cried desperately. “Don’t let them hurt me,  _ please _ !,” he sobbed.

  
  


Ethan didn’t know who “them” was, but they were obviously upsetting Grayson alot. “Gray, you’re okay, you’re okay. They’re not gonna hurt you. I’m right here.” Grayson obviously didn’t care about or believe what Ethan was saying because he was still trying to get out of Ethan’s arms. “Let go, let go, let go!” he yelled until he did force Ethan to let him go, by knocking his legs out with a kick and pushing him onto the ground as hard as he could. Obviously Grayson was conscious enough to fight because Ethan was now on the floor with the wind knocked out of him, needing a few moments to get up.

  
  


During those few moments Grayson again ran away, to the kitchen this time where he began pacing, while sobbing until Ethan came. When Grayson saw him he nearly fell on his brother forcing Ethan to catch him, and they both fell limp to the floor. Ethan saw the frantically searching eyes from the first night but this time Grayson held onto Ethan’s face. “Help me, Ethan,” Grayson moaned helplessly. “Help. me.” Ethan saw his brother’s usually hazel eyes almost completely black and sad. Then, all of a sudden, Grayson dropped his head onto his twin’s lap where he wept quietly, Ethan stroking his hair. Once he seemed to calm down, Ethan lifted him up until he stood on his own. “Let’s go to bed, Gray.”

  
  


He grabbed Grayson’s hand and led him to Ethan’s room where he helped his brother lie down and pulled the covers over him. Ethan climbed in next to him and took Grayson into his arms. He rubbed circles into his back until his crying subsided and Ethan heard steady, even breaths.

  
  
  


* * *

 

 

The next morning was harder this time, Ethan again waking first. His concern was even worse this time. Concerned for Grayson’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Were this just nightmares? he started to wonder.

  
  


When Ethan started to stroke Grayson’s cheek, he woke up slowly. He looked sad. “I’m so sorry, Ethan.” He started to tear up. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  
  


Ethan pulled him close and rubbed his arm. “Shhh. Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

  
  


“I’m sorry,” Grayson whispered anyway, trembling in his twin’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter may seem all over the place, in terms of Grayson's supposed "nightmares," but from personal experience this is very realistic. Behavior during these epileptic episodes are up and down throughout, lasting for 30 seconds to half an hour depending on the person, and can often be violent, no matter the usual behavior of the person. If someone is around them, they can go from asking for the person's help, pushing them away, being afraid of them, or acting like they hate them. I've experienced all of these emotions and symptoms, including guilt after the fact.
> 
>  
> 
> The next chapter(s) will have a little more plot and dialogue than now and will start to piece things together.


End file.
